Going in Circles
by Katerina de Annika
Summary: Regina sees no other option to prove her innocence, and faced with unpredictable magical abilities, must coerce Emma into being cooperative
1. Chapter 1

The newest bulletin flashed on the Storybrooke Mirror's website. Ruby sighed and rubbed her face, shifting the deputy star on her hip. She read the headlines and mentally cringed, wishing she could think of something else to try. She reread the bulletin over and over and felt her anger growing again.

"I'm going to get that bitch if it's the last thing I do" she growled, eyes shifting to a dangerous yellow. She got up and stalked out of the Sheriff's office, grabbing her coat on the way out. The website was still up on the computer, and the bulletin scrolled continuously, repeating the same three sentences:

"THE EVIL QUEEN IS ON THE RUN, WANTED FOR THE MURDER OF ARCHIE HOPPER. SHERIFF SWAN DISAPPEARED DURING ONGOING INVESTIGATION. NO SIGN OF HER WHEREABOUTS."

_**Two Days Earlier **_

Emma woke up in a completely dark room and groaned. This was the third night she had woken up before dawn. She knew she was uneasy and upset about this whole Regina murdering Archie thing, but this was getting ridiculous. She had never cared this much before. But if she was honest with herself, she had to admit that it wasn't actually Archie's death that was causing her so much anxiety. She missed him and wanted to catch his murderer, but she wasn't overly emotional about it. What disturbed her the most was that she had truly thought Regina was changing. She had seen her the night before the murder, and knew in her bones that Regina was changing. She couldn't understand why Regina would slip into her old ways again when she had made so much progress. And why she would not fight back when she was taken in for questioning? Why would she just disappear after Emma accused her of being unable to change, instead of fighting back as she always had before? It just didn't make sense!

Emma shook her head and sighed. It was the same old list of reasons every single time. But she never found a satisfying answer to any of them. She decided to get up and grab a cup of hot chocolate, but when she tried to roll over, her arms and legs wouldn't move. Eyes widening with shock, Emma realized that she was tied down. And that this was not her bed. She looked around, panicked. Only a tiny amount of light was visible under the door in the otherwise pitch black room. Emma swallowed hard and calmed her breathing. She had been kidnapped.

Her mind raced. Whoever had done this would _pay_. She thought hard until she remembered Jefferson, and a small growl escaped as she swore. If that son of a bitch had done this—Her internal rant was cut off when she heard the soft pad of feet She couldn't identify the person by their footsteps, which was odd. She knew the sound of nearly everyone's footsteps in Storybrooke. It was a defense mechanism from growing up in the system, one she had never been able to shake. And those footsteps were definitely not Jefferson's. Emma's blood ran cold. The thought that she had no idea who had taken her hostage terrified her. She was helpless. But as the door creaked open, Emma's eyes widened. The figure illuminated by the dim light was not at all whom she had expected. "Regina." Emma spat.

The brunette seemed a bit taken aback by the vehemence in Emma's voice, but quickly let her mask slip back in place. "Ah. Sheriff. Awake I see. Good." Emma struggled with her bonds and reared up on the bed, glaring at Regina.

"Why am I here." She seethed. Regina just raised an eyebrow and walked in to undo Emma's bonds. As soon as she was free, Emma shoved Regina against the wall with her arm, chest heaving as she trapped the struggling woman.

"WHY AM I HERE! " she shouted. Emma watched as a mix of emotions played across Regina's face. Emotions she couldn't place. Regina rested her hand on Emma's elbow and said gently, "Please let me explain." Emma's eyes widened slightly. This was not the woman she had fought with just a few short months ago, or even the woman who had thrown her down the walkway in front of the Mayor's mansion. This was the woman that had apologized in front of Granny's, the woman who had made Emma's heart beat faster, and made her question everything she thought she knew about the mayor. But still, Emma did not let go, lip curling into a slight sneer, not willing to let Regina trick her again. Regina still didn't change her approach though. She didn't lash out. She didn't shout. She didn't let an acerbic comment slip out. She just looked into Emma's eyes with now discernible sadness and said quietly,"Please, Emma. Please just let me explain."

The blonde eyed Regina distrustfully, but lowered her arm. They were still standing very close, noses almost touching. Emma felt suddenly uncomfortable, but held her ground.

"Well?" she snapped. "Explain."

Regina nodded slightly before saying "You are here to help me prove my innocence."

Emma scoffed, eyebrows shooting up her forehead as she took a few steps back. "You expect me to believe that you kidnapped me and tied me to a bed all to prove your _innocence_ ?" A tired sigh escaped the brunette and she brushed past the agitated blonde on her way out the door. "If you would kindly let me finish, _Sheriff_ . "

At the slight edge to Regina's words, Emma calmed down somewhat. This was more like the Mayor she knew. She followed Regina down the hallway into what turned out to be a tastefully modern cabin, noticing the Mayor's clothing for the first time that night. She was wearing black slacks, a light blue button down, untucked, and a darker blue cardigan. She even had on slippers. Regina stopped and looked back at the blonde, raising an eyebrow at her expression.

"What?" she asked.

"You just look so...normal. Except not. I mean, for YOU they're not normal, but for anyone else, I would say they're normal,but I've never really been in lots of normal situations, so maybe I'm basing that off too many movies but you look normal and comfortable and I just never knew you even owned something like that let alone wore it and—" Emma stumbled to a stop in her ramble when she saw Regina smirking at her, nostrils flaring slightly as the mayor tried to contain her amusement.

"I DO happen to own some nice clothing to wear around the house. But _you_ , Miss Swan, have never been privy to them before now, for obvious reasons." Regina sniffed daintily. "Now, however, I am going to be as comfortable as possible in this situation, as I feel it will take some time to complete." And with that, Regina turned around and walked into what Emma realized was the kitchen, filled with dark cherry colored woods, stainless steel and black electronics, and a large half wall that served as an island. Emma had to admit to herself that she was impressed. But she hadn't come out here to admire the Mayor's kitchen. She had come out here to get answers.

"Now, to finish our conversation." Regina said. She poured a steaming golden liquid into a mug, the smell of spiced cider filling the kitchen, and began. "As I said, I brought you here to help me prove my innocence. Mr. Gold, or someone else in Storybrooke, is trying to frame me for a murder I did not commit." Regina held up a hand to stop Emma from interrupting again. "Gold's method that you used to see 'me' commit the crimes is not something he would willingly use to help _me_ prove my _innocence_. Quite the contrary, I'm afraid. But even if he did want to, shall we say, 'help me', it would be for a price. And right now, I am not willing to pay any of his prices."

Emma stuffed her hands in her back pockets, digesting what the Mayor was telling her. As much as she hated to admit it, Regina did seem to be making a lot of sense. Damn her.

Regina continued, eying the Sheriff. "Another point against me is that if I had initiated the magic that Gold had you use in his shop, and let you finish the spell, you would still believe I killed Mr. Hopper because I could have tampered with the magic somehow. The fact that what I remember and what you saw are such completely different things brings us back to square one, with few alternatives for you finding out the truth." Regina cleared her throat to distract from the obvious waver in her voice. "For believing me." Her index finger slowly stroked the edge of her mug as she continued. "My only choice then was to find some way of allowing you to do the magic yourself to read my memories, without any influence from me. Which means I have to _teach_ you how to perform the magic on your own. Before I-"

Emma objected loudly. "I performed that spell in Gold's shop and it turned out FINE Regina. What makes you think you have to teach me anything?"

Regina merely raised and eyebrow at Emma, watching the blonde deflate before her eyes. Emma scuffed the toe of her sock against the floor, mumbling to herself about hotheaded mayor's and the stupidity of magic.

"As I was saying, Sheriff. Before I even let you TOUCH the magics you would need to read my memories, you would need to learn self control, something you seem to have little of, if our past encounters is anything to go by. And before you go all 'Charming family' on me and tell me how easy this will be for you, let me tell you one thing. Magic. Is. Dangerous. And it _always_ comes with a price. You will be in _complete_ control of your magic before I let you touch _my_ mind and let you read _my_ memories of that night. I need to know that you won't turn my brain to jelly by accident." Regina's expression was haughty as she continued to list her reasons why Emma wasn't even close to ready to get the one thing they needed most: answers.

"Why the hell would I want to help you!" Emma shouted, storming around the adjoining living room, her hands emphasizing every word. " I _saw _you Regina." She glared accusingly at the Mayor. "I saw you _kill_ Archie with your bare hands!"

"What you saw wasn't me." The mayor said softly. Emma just continued to glare back.

"I don't believe you."

"You believed me once."

"That was before I found out you were still a manipulative _bitch_ who was just screwing with me and Henry. I believed you _before_ you betrayed our son's trust, and _killed_ his therapist!"

Regina cringed when Emma mentioned Henry, and it did not go unnoticed by Emma. But she shrugged away any nagging doubts that had arisen, opting for anger instead of introspection.

"You said you could tell when someone was lying." Regina said quietly. Her brown eyes shifted up to meet Emma's flinty hazel eyes. "Am I lying when I say I didn't do it? Am I lying when I say that I am still trying to be worthy of Henry's love?" Regina choked on the last sentence, and tried to regain her composure while Emma's eyes searched her face.

"I want to say that you're not lying. God Regina! I WANT TO! But I believed you the ﬁrst time, in the Sheriﬀ's station. And then I saw your hand around Archie's neck. I don't know what to believe with you, Regina! You're a fucking closed book when you want to be and I don't like that and I don't _trust_ you!" Emma slid into Regina's personal space, staring down a woman who suddenly seemed much smaller and less domineering than before.

"Emma, I AM trying—"

"How DARE you say you are trying to be worthy of Henry's love when you go and just kidnap me right from under his nose!" Emma once again stood nose to nose with the Mayor, and her hands were balled into fists as Regina just looked steadily back at her with a sad, yet unflinching gaze.

"Think what you want, Sheriff I will prove to you that I didn't do it. I will prove to you that I did not murder Archie Hopper, and that I am still worthy of Henry. And you are going to help me." With that, Regina turned heel and walked into the kitchen, leaving Emma alone in the living room.

'_What is going on_ ? ' Emma thought, wishing that for once she could get a break. She had had enough of all this bickering with Regina, and all her false claims. She glared at the door and gritted her teeth as she moved towards it. But just as her hand touched the doorknob, Regina's voice cried out a hasty "NO!", but she was too late. Emma's body was thrown back, a purple electricity crackling along her skin as her world went black.

Emma awoke with a groan. She was on the ground, and Regina was kneeling over her, holding her face and saying something. Emma tried to hear what the woman was saying, but only caught snippets of "okay? "Em —?" "Dammit Emma, answer m—!"

The blonde let her head ﬂop to the side, one hand moving up to hold onto Regina's wrist.

"Wha—what happened?" She groaned hoarsely.

"You idiot!" Regina snapped, pulling her hands back, but pausing as Emma continued to hold her wrist. "You could have been killed!"

At that, Emma sat straight up. She quickly realized that was a mistake as her hands ﬂew to her head. "Fuuuuck." She moaned. Regina just raised an eyebrow, lips pursed.

"You would do well to think before you act, Miss Swan. Or you are liable to get severely injured. I am surprised you have survived this long, let alone been anything as _clever_ as a bounty hunter." From her tone, Emma could tell Regina thought being a bounty hunter was anything _but_ clever.

"What was I supposed to do? I wanted to leave, so I went for the door!"

"But why would I have had you tied up to begin with if I was going to let you roam around this house freely after you woke up? Why would there be a shimmer to the walls if there was nothing strange about them? Why would I have taken you here and not tried harder to convince you stay if you had a choice about leaving?"

When Emma heard that, she grabbed Regina's wrist again, this time wrenching it painfully in her grasp as she leaned in close and ground out, "What was that about me not having a choice?"

Regina's jaw ﬂexed, but she controlled her anger and spelled it out as simply as the she could. "Until you have done what I've asked, there is no way you can possibly leave this house. Simply put, Miss Swan, we are stuck together. And by the looks of it, we're going to be stuck here for a very long time."


	2. Chapter 2

"Excuse me?" Snapped Emma, looking at Regina in disbelief. "Just take down the barrier and let me _out_!"

Regina paused at the look of panic and confusion on Emma's face. This was not how it was supposed to go.

"Regina..." Emma's tone held a warning bite to it as she eyed the woman almost straddling her. "What have you done."

Regina looked up at the ceiling, wrestling with exactly how she would break the news to this woman. All the speeches she had rehearsed in her head feel so hollow and empty now. Emma shifted slightly beneath her, drawing her attention back to bright hazel eyes, the colors shifting from blue to green.

"I'm afraid that in order to protect this place from Gold, Ruby, and your parents, I had to put a magical field around this cabin to cloak it. But the most 'powerful' prewritten spell I had available to me was greatly inferior to my needs, due to the limited amount of magic here. And that spell only cloaked the cabin, meaning that anyone could still stumble through the field if they got close enough. And without me actively keeping the field up and controlling it, like I could have back in my land, anyone who walked in would be trapped. I couldn't let something like that happen to Henry when..._if_ he goes looking for me." She eyes the woman on the floor and amends her statement again. "Looking for _us_." Regina sighed. "So, I had to change the spell to make sure people couldn't get through the barrier. The one catch was that rewriting the spell made it consume much more of my magic than it ever would have in my Land. But it was the only way. So I magicked you here, and tied you to the bed to keep you from touching the walls or escaping while I put the spell in place. Due to the energy needed to initiate the barrier, I don't have enough magic to let us come or go. Which also means that—"

"That we can't get out of here."

"Precisely." Regina tilted her head in acknowledgment.

"That's insane Regina! What if something happens and we need to get to Henry! Or we run out of food?! Or, heaven forbid, we want to LEAVE!"

Regina pursed her lips, taking a deep breath.

"All the more reason why you should approach your magic lessons with added enthusiasm, Sheriff Swan."

Emma's eyes widened almost comically at the implications.

"You mean...without my magic, we're trapped here for good?"

"Again Miss Swan, You astound me with your brilliant conclusions." Regina drawled. "And no, not forever, I hope. Eventually my magic may regenerate enough to let us out. But that could take...quite a long time, I'm afraid. This world is not brimming with magic, if you hadn't noticed."

Emma scoffed, not caring about her throbbing head as she sat up and shoved the Mayor away from her. "I have no idea why you would trap us here, Regina. Even after you explained it to me, it makes _no sense_. You ALWAYS have a backup plan. You always have a way out. I can't image you would _ever_ intentionally trap yourself in any place like _this_, especially with me." Emma emphasized nearly every word with a sweep of her hand or a pointed finger, every action only intensifying her accusatory and disbelieving tone.

"I mean, how STUPID can one person be, Regina? I don't even know what—"

"_I made a mistake, okay_?" Regina cried out, still kneeling on the floor, a single tear of frustration, fear, and anger sliding down her face. "I thought I could control it. I thought I would have enough magic left over." Her voice had dropped to a whisper, anguish on her face. Emma faltered. She had never seen Regina like this. Regina's husky voice continued. "I never believed that I would be this _weak_."

"Um..." Emma watched the Mayor, shifting uneasily.

Regina's eyes snapped up to pin Emma with a glare. "I never intended the spell to be a one way trip for me. I had every intention of being able to come and go as I pleased. But I failed, Miss Swan." Regina stood up , trying to get a handle on her emotions, her hands smoothing out her clothing. "I failed at the one thing I have relied on and that has served me for my entire life. Do you know how that feels?" She gave Emma an accusatory glare. Emma just opened her mouth to reply, but never actually said anything.

"I am now depending on _you_, the only woman in this town who I both despise, and need. And if either of us wants to see Henry again, you had better make sure that whatever your emotions are about our current situation, you do your best to get us out of here."

And with that, Regina left, disappearing into her room and shutting her door more forcefully than necessary. Emma numbly walked down the hallway to what was now apparently her bedroom, but paused as she passed Regina's door. Muffled crying came from behind the door, and Emma felt her heart break. Whatever she thought about Regina, she knew that Regina hadn't ask for what was happening to them.

As Emma shut the door to her room with her foot, she looked around her sparsely but tastefully furnished bedroom. A small table sat next to her bed, and a large wooden chest sat at the end. A slim silver lamp sat on the table, with a book resting on it's dark silver surface. Emma walked over and picked it up, noting the well worn spine and yellowed pages. It was a copy of Silas Marner. Emma struggled to remember where she had heard that title before. She shrugged. It didn't matter. A sudden crash came from Regina's room, but just as Emma was about to rush out to the door to find out what happened, she thought better of it. No way in hell was she going to endanger life and limb for what was probably just an expression of the Mayor's anger. Emma shuddered. She didn't want any more trouble today. So she continued to peruse her new room. A closet caught her eye, and she padded over to it to check what was inside. It held three empty coat hangers, a box of winter gear, and a small shelf with a few old books on it.. Emma sighed. No secrets about Regina were stashed in her closet, it seemed. So she slid the door shut, and wondered what she was going to do next, now that she had apparently toured the entirety of her room's wonders.

Turning around again, Emma decided she might as well make herself comfortable. She sat on the edge of her bed, noting for the first time how comfortable it actually was. The dark violet and navy of the comforter complimented the lighter blue stucco walls, which rose up to meet a tiered, exposed wooden ceiling. This house hardly counted as a cabin in Emma's book. More like a house converted to look mildly rustic. Emma shook her head. Regina would never own anything crudely or roughly made. This cabin shouldn't surprise her. But as Emma lay down on the bed, she realized that many things today had surprised her, Regina most of all. For a woman who had just killed a man in cold blood, she was very calm. At least, until her breakdown earlier. Most people _would_ break down after killing someone, Emma reasoned. But she knew deep down that Regina wouldn't. From all the stories the once cursed down had about Fairy Tale Land, she knew that hundreds of people had died at the Queen's command. Although, how many died at Regina's hand verses those of her soldiers, Emma didn't know. For all she knew, Regina had let everyone else do most of the dirty work. She shook her head. She didn't want to think about the Evil Queen. Up until a couple of days ago, she had been positive that Regina wasn't the Evil Queen, at least not anymore. And the Regina she had spoken to just a few minutes ago was also not someone she would call an 'Evil Queen'. It didn't make sense. Emma scoffed. Nothing about this whole screwed up case made sense. Running her fingers through her hair, Emma surveyed the room again. Her eyes followed the circular pattern in the blue and white rug in the middle of the room. This was boring.

She was trapped with Regina, stuck in this cabin in the middle of the woods, and from the look of it, there was no computer or television in the place. _'Maybe there's a TV in Regina's room.'_ Emma mused. She shook her head at the absurd idea that Regina would ever let her in her room.

Emma flopped back in bed.

Well then. Then was _seriously _boring. Looking over, she noticed the book still lying on the table. '_Might as well.'_ she thought, and picked it up. And for the next few hours, Emma Swan read Silas Marner, trying to forget where she was, and whom she was with.

She almost succeeded.

Regina closed the door to her room with a decidedly unnecessary thud. Her hand lay flat against the wood, muscles taut, as she struggled to gain control of her emotions. Her lamp suddenly flew across the room and smashed against the wall, purple sparks crackling along the broken pieces. Regina slumped against the door and slid to the floor, tears streaming down her face. Her whole body ached, the strain of erecting the barrier still causing her great pain and exhaustion. It disturbed her greatly that she was so emotionally unbound. That lamp should not have been magically thrown against the wall. Not if she had any semblance of control over herself. She hadn't been so out of control of her emotions, and her magic, in years. Not since she took up Rumpelstiltskin's offer to learn _real_ magic. She paused. No. That wasn't true. Her mind jumped to Daniel's reappearance, and their talk in the stables. Her quiet tears turned into sobbing as she relived the pain of losing him again. '_I can't bear to lose anyone else.' _Regina thought, begging anyone and anything to help her keep Henry.

Henry.

Because of her own foolishness, she was trapped, with only a very slim chance of seeing him until Emma mastered enough magic to free them. Regina's head fell forward, her forehead resting on her knees as she took ragged breaths. Despite her reservations about Emma's magical abilities, let alone Emma's ability to read her memories, she knew that the blonde would do anything to get back to Henry. In that sense they were alike, as much as Regina hated to admit it. A few days ago she had believed that Emma was truly on her side. She believed that Emma would still fight for her, despite everything. That night at Granny's, when Regina had found herself apologizing in a way she hadn't done since Daniel, she knew that it was the right thing to do. The last thing she needed...or wanted...was the Blonde Sheriff as an enemy. And yet here she was, accused of a murder she didn't commit, at the top of Sheriff Swan's list of enemies, the kidnapper of her son's birth mother, and incapable of even intermediate magics that had once come so easily to her. Regina took a ragged breath. _'How could so many things go so wrong in such a short amount of time? How?'_

As Regina struggled with the answers, she was startled to hear a thud against the wall to her left. She looked up, trying to figure out what had made the noise. Then she realized that Emma had merely opened her closet. Regina gave a watery smile as she turned back to look at her knees. Emma continued to be her usual self, making herself right at home. The fact that Emma was mostly the same person she was before the murder was a relief to Regina. Still. She didn't like how much anger and betrayal Emma directed towards her. It unnerved and upset her in a way she couldn't quite understand. But as much as she hated to admit it, Emma had every right to be angry. Regina had no more leverage to convince the blonde to believe her, not after playing her one card by practically begging Emma to believe her as she once had. The deck was stacked against her, and she knew it.

Regina realized that she was just as desperate as she appeared, maybe more so since her spell backfired. Regina held her hands up in front of her, slowly turning them over. Her hands had cast so many spells, so many powerful, unimaginably complicated spells. But here, one cloaking spell had eluded her control. Her hands closed into fists, and she wrapped her arms around her knees, sniffing as her tears slowed down. Emma was right. She _did _feel trapped. She didn't know if it made her feel better or worse that it was a trap of her own making. The slight shimmer on the wall opposite her caught her attention, dust motes illuminated by both the light streaming in from the window, and the occasional flash of purple sliding across the log and stucco wall.

Her hands flexed as she contemplated how she was going to handle the next few weeks. Her head fell to her knees again. She had not thought this through. Her mind traveled to the many times she had been rash in her life, and the countless problems that had resulted from them. Defying her mother growing up. Rescuing Snow. Running away with Daniel. Trying to escape her royal marriage. The list continued, and she thought of all her sins, all her mistakes, fresh tears sliding down her cheeks. Regina tried to focus on the problem at hand: being framed for a murder she did not commit. But try as she might, her past kept pushing it's way to the forefront. So she relived her tortures and faced her demons for the thousandth time.

And as Regina got lost in the dark and uncertain world inside her head, her exhaustion began to take hold. Ten minutes later, a sleeping Mayor was slumped against her door, arms wrapped around her legs, head still her knees, mascara streaks on her cheeks. And so the once mighty queen slept on the floor, clinging to the last breath of hope in her otherwise nightmare ridden world.

Emma's stomach growled again, and she reluctantly put down the book. It was surprisingly good, although she wasn't sure she'd ever admit that to anyone. Reading used to be a passion of hers growing up, but after one too many fights over her reading too much and being 'lazy' in her foster homes, she decided to take up other pursuits. Mainly comic books and kicking neighbor boy's asses. Emma smiled. Seeing those bullies run away crying, dashing down the cracked pavement to tell their mothers how horrible the new foster kid was always delighted her. Hell, it was one of the reasons she went into bounty work.

Emma groaned as she swung her legs off the bed and looked at the book in her hand. Her finger was stuck between two pages to mark her spot, and she looked around for a bookmark. She briefly thought about dog-earing the page, but thought better of it. Regina would most likely kill her for defacing her book. Smiling at the thought of Regina's ire, Emma opened her door, book in hand, and went into the living room to hunt for a good bookmark. She made her way towards the table with a drawer, stubbing her toe on a chair leg in the process. Swearing under her breath, her fingers deftly sifted through the nail file, notepad, pens, and other miscellany. But there was no bookmark. She sighed and looked around the room. Oh well. She went back to her room, and made sure to look at the page number before closing the book and setting it on the bedside table. Then she went to the kitchen to look for food. She had mostly resigned herself to their current situation, and decided that as long as she was here, she might as well be comfortable. Nothing in the fridge looked particularly appetizing at the moment, and she would have to cook to use most of it. She mentally checked that off her list of to-dos. No way was she going to cook for Regina. Then she paused.

Well.

Regina _might_ like a home cooked meal tonight, she thought. Her brow furrowed as she catalogued the ingredients in her head. She could make a salad with orange and garlic chicken. She smiled. It was a recipe she once cooked for herself, and it had turned out pretty well, if she did say so herself. She only set one towel on fire, and only partly burned the chicken. Regina would be surprised. At least, that's what Emma kept telling herself.

But by the time she had the skillet on the burner, the spices out, and the chicken rinsed and dried, she realized that she didn't quite remember the recipe. With a frustrated groan, Emma decided to continue anyway. '_What could go wrong, really?'_ she thought.

And with that, Emma Swan began cooking.

Regina woke up to severe neck pain and the smell of chicken. She sniffed. That also smelled like garlic. She sniffed again. And orange. Another sniff. Smoke. Her brow creased. She hadn't left anything in the oven. So Emma must be cooking. Regina's eyes widened. Emma Swan was in her kitchen. Using _her_ appliances. And liable to set her house on fire by the smell.

Regina winced as she got up, noticing her tail bone greatly disliked sitting on the hard floor for so long. Her eyes sought out the clock on her bedside table. She frowned. Almost three hours had passed since she had left Miss Swan in the hallway. Mouth pinched, Regina was about to leave her room when she noticed how wrinkled her clothing was. With a disgusted groan, she went to her closet and picked out a pair of black slacks, a white button down, and a black vest. She wasn't going to be unprepared for Miss Swan again, and she wanted her clothing to make her mental and emotional state quite clear. She meant business.

The Mayor opened the door carefully, wanting to keep noises to the minimum. She wanted to catch Emma unawares, caught in the act of doing something horrendous to her kitchen, which she was most certainly doing. Regina schooled her features, relief filling her body at the familiar feeling of the mask she so often wore. Indifference and disdain. Revealing her emotions and holding back her anger had _not_ served her well before. Instead, she had humiliated herself in front of a woman who set her teeth on edge and drove her crazy. And so it was that Regina Mills transformed into the cold Madame Mayor, who walked down the hallway to find Emma Swan nursing a burned hand, studiously ignoring scorched chicken, and halfheartedly trying to silence the now blaring smoke alarm.

The sound of heels on wood could barely be heard above the wailing smoke alarm. So when Emma turned around, she was nearly knocked backwards off her step stool as she came face to face with a very unamused Mayor.

"R-Regina!" Emma faltered, giving the brunette a fearful and embarrassed smile. She looked over the kitchen, taking note of the limp lettuce for the salad, the burned chicken, and the terrible acrid smell of smoke. With a sigh and a shrug of her shoulders, Emma turned her attention back to Regina. She offered her a lopsided, apologetic smile."Dinner's ready."


End file.
